Til Death Do Us Part
by After The Lights
Summary: When the entire world is falling apart around you, the only thing really worth holding onto is love.


**Disclaimer - I don't own anything to do with Final Fantasy X-2, as much as I want to. If I did, I certainly wouldn't be writing on here. Nor do I own The Lion King or anything to do with Disney. (Thanks to Musing Joplin for pointing that out.)**

For Nisah, my awesome friend and voluntery beta. No idea why you put up with me, but thank God that you do_. Jess X_

* * *

'Til Death Do Us Part

"_Love is stronger than death even though it cannot stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it cannot separate people from love. It cannot take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."_

Anon

---

Yuna has never really thought about death, never actually sat down to consider the countless number of ways in which she might die.

Infinite.

There was no true point in mulling over the possibilities when you had always known that your own fate, a path you had built yourself, led to the eternal slumber. The End.

But it didn't and although she will never, ever admit it to anyone other than him, Yuna was relieved. No matter how many times she said it and forced herself to believe in those words, she wasn't ready to die. Ghost drawn pictures of all she would never know had seized her mind and conquered it so they could fill her head with indistinct images of children, home, the perfect life. It was the world's cruel way of playing torture with her.

So yes, when she discovered to her partial horror that there was no need to throw her life away in order to defeat Sin, she was glad. Now … she's not so sure.

_I want to die surrounded by my family, _Yuna decides, _and with all my friends beside me. I want to die at home, peacefully. _

Too late.

Death has already drawn up his plan and is gleefully racing, hurtling, thundering towards Spira with his scythe held high in the guilty pleasure of declaring that none shall be spared. For that's what Death does.

The world, Spira, the spiral of death, is going to end in ten days.

And this time,

_There is nothing I can do about it. _

10.

One week and three days before it's all over, Yuna plonks herself down on the beach and stares at the sea as though the vast expanse of liquid lapis lazuli can tell her something,

Anything.

The heat glows gently in citrus shades on her skin and quickly she is sinking, dipping and diving in and out of patches of nostalgia.

_When I was seven and first came to Besaid with Kimahri, the thing that struck me the most was the sand: golden, there was so much of it. It was like a giant had been making glass and had given up part way through, so simply just dumped the excess on the first spit of land it had spotted. I told my idea to Kimahri as I held his hand. I think … he smiled. _

Yuna flicks open her eyes and finds her hands digging down, deep down into the thousands of tiny grains in search of a thing to hold or maybe a thing to comfort. The sand trickles between the spaces of her long fingers, slipping away silently like … time.

Running out.

She shakes her head, vigorously. That is one thought which is definitely not needed.

"Why're you shaking your head so much Yuna? You got fleas or something?"

Tidus allows himself to fall to the ground effortlessly and with all the grace of a heavy rock tossed off a cliff. A miniature sandstorm is born so Yuna coughs with a painfully painted throat before beginning to protest.

"Of course not! Why would you say such a thing?"

Tidus stretches out to grasp her hand, tickling it, and at the same time tilts his head back lazily to stare at the empty sky. It's the same colour as his eyes and Yuna once thought it was beautiful but now it just reminds her of sorrow.

Despair.

"To make you smile," he answers in a whisper. Yuna understands.

Smiles-beams-grins, they've all been a bit rare lately. People still go about their daily lives as normal, but with frowns and thickly set lines etched firmly into their faces in such a way that she can't help not to think of marble about to be carved.

Even Tidus had been smiling less, she notes, and it is hard to explain exactly how and why. His mouth still springs and quirks into the familiar shape with the corners curled upwards to touch the sun, but his eyes…

_They don't smile_, Yuna thinks before realising it's a stupid thought as eyes can't smile. That is what lips are for.

"So," says Tidus, releasing her hand and propping himself up on his elbows. "What do you want to do today?"

She jumps to her feet, which scares him a little. Only a little.

"I feel like," she says to him, but also to the sea, the sand and not forgetting the sky," beating you in a game of blitzball."

Their shrieks of joy and splashes of laughter are the only cheery sounds Besaid hears that day.

9.

"No!" Tidus roars, fists clenched and visibly trembling as the malevolent monster of anger invades his mind and body. "You are not to say that again Yuna, it isn't your fault! None of this is! Stop blaming yourself, dammit!"

The crunching sound of glass echoes throughout the entire village, Tidus' fist having forcefully met with the vase of flowers that stood proudly on their dresser. Petals float delicately, scattering across the rug covered floor and joining the drops of blood that are falling, rapidly. Yuna watches them closely.

_But, I can't help it. It is my fault. _

"You weren't there," she says firmly, lips squeezed tightly together to prevent any unwanted words from gushing out. "You weren't there so you don't know what happened."

He looks up and squints at her through his tear speckled eyelashes, clutching his hand in a poor attempt to stop the bleeding. It's been a long time since Yuna saw him like this.

"No, I wasn't there," Tidus says, almost spitting out the words they seem so venomous. "But how am I supposed to know what really happened if you refuse to tell me? Answer me that Yuna, huh."

She steps forward bravely and reaches for his hand, only to make him flinch and swiftly retreat. It's a ridiculous situation, she knows but she refuses to give in that easily.

"Let me see your hand," and it comes out more like an order rather than a request.

"No," he repeats, making it obvious it is soon becoming his new favourite word. He backs away, hastily and carelessly, before tripping over his own feet because he is too preoccupied with pressing his right hand against his bloody left one.

Yuna gets to him faster than he can scramble back onto his feet and grabs his hand. She chooses to ignore his glare and cries that she's hurting him.

_Because you haven't been hurting me at all, have you? _

Pure and crisp white light surrounds the cuts as she utters the word curaga, and Tidus' hand is soon as good and healthy as ever. He is still scowling.

Ungrateful.

She offers him her hand, which he unwillingly accepts. Back on his feet, Tidus starts to walk away, out of the hut …

_Out of my life? _

"Wait!" Yuna calls, panicked by his sudden actions. "Come back! I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."

He stops. She can't help but release a huge sigh of relief, a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Everything?" Tidus asks, eyebrows high and face an unreadable mix of fury, curiosity and … pain?

"Yes, everything," she says and he trails slowly back into the hut and sits down to listen to her story, obediently.

_When we were preparing to fight Vegnagun, Shinra discovered something. Something unusual, but a thing that also had the potential to do wonders for Spira. Or at least, that's what we thought. He said that energy levels from the Farplane were so great that in theory, they would be able to power a whole city of light, maybe even an entire civilisation! _

_Everyone was so excited, you should have seen their faces. I was happy too, because… it made me think of Zanarkand, and then of course, you. Shinra wanted to know if we thought it would be a good idea to manipulate this energy and use it to build a city of light. We all agreed that it would be, but I think… I was what really made the choice final. I was always the most influential member of the Gullwings, even though I really didn't want to be. I was the one who encouraged Shinra the most. _

_I was the one, who made him do it. _

_We didn't realise until a few months later what was happening. Suddenly, all Shinra's readings from the Farplane disappeared and when we sent a Commsphere down there, it showed us that the Farplane, the heart of Spira, was basically… falling apart. We had been draining the planet of it's only source of life, so much so that it was dying. That's why this is happening. That's why everyone's going to die soon. _

_That's why… I blame myself. _

Yuna's tears flow thick and fast, streaming down her cheeks in such a rush that Tidus can't wipe them all away. He pulls her to him and presses her against his chest, hair stroking and caressing his skin in a way he knows he doesn't have long to preserve in his memory. Sobs and sniffs continue to come as he brushes back her hair to reveal the apple white skin of her neck, soft and perfect and so very tempting to kiss. He does.

"Well," he says, hands still messing with her dusty brown tresses. "It could have been worse."

_How can you say that? How can you possibly even begin to think that, when we only have nine days left together?_

She pushes away and stares, eyes wide and outlined with the red tell-tale puffiness that tears leave behind as a rather pathetic gift. He smiles as he says,

"At least we won't die at the hands of Seymour."

8.

A cool rush greets her in the form of a thousand tiny waves when Yuna enters the temple to escape the midday heat.

It's crowded, with priests frantically reassuring people all will be fine whilst the other locals and pilgrims alike simply just pray because they are all still strung up high on that thing called hope.

Crash and burn.

Footsteps beat and echo, climbing up the steps to the trials with her perpetual shadow, Tidus, not far behind. People attempt to give her feeble smiles but she knows what they really want. They want her to make everything okay.

_I'm sorry. _

"Man, don't tell me we've got to do this thing again. It's been three years. How am I supposed to remember what to do?" moans Tidus as he strolls in after her.

Yuna ignores him and lets her fingers dance across the patterns engraved in the cool-to-the-touch stone, wondering what it all means. It feels like something she should know before the end.

The Besaid sphere is as smooth as an ocean polished pebble in her hands and she passes it to Tidus, who with some encouragement from hidden grins and breathy coaxes, finally places it in the niche so that the door will be opened. They head along the path to the chamber in a subdued mutual silence.

"What are we even doing here anyway?" wonders Tidus, the light awash with inky blackness as they descend in the lift. "And don't tell me you didn't want to get sunburnt. We have shade to stop that, you know."

A smile, though a little weak.

"I know," Yuna says and steps off when they reach the bottom. "It's just … I thought the Fayth might have some answers. They might, they could be able to help us."

_But how can they help if they're not here anymore? _

Tidus' face is suddenly set aglow, clearly excited by her notion. "Hey, that's a great idea. Why didn't we think of that earlier?"

Her shoulders shrug in what is meant to be a casual way. "I'm not sure," she lies, acid burning on her tongue, and prepares to enter the chamber.

_Because we weren't as desperate then as we are now. _

The Hymn still rings throughout the room but half-heartedly, as though the choir has lost all their vocal chords or are suffering from severe throat infections.

Or lost the will to live.

His eyes widen profusely at the sight that awaits them in the Chamber of the Fayth and that's when Yuna remembers something that she might have wanted to consider earlier.

"What happened here? Did someone try to steal the Fayth or something?" Tidus asks facetiously and Yuna recalls how they sort of left that part out of the retelling of the whole Vegnagun escapade because Rikku thought it wasn't interesting enough.

"The holes," and the words trip out like they are unable to stand on their own feet.

"Huh?" blurts out Tidus who really doesn't need to gape with his mouth open. She already knows he does not understand any of it.

"This hole," she begins and circles it as she speaks," was made by Vegnagun. They appeared in every Chamber of the Fayth, even in Macalania, which was underwater. Fiends came pouring out and we had to rid the temples of them. Each hole leads to the Farplane."

She finishes brusquely and glances back up to look at him. Tidus is scratching the back of his neck, his trademark gesture whilst trying desperately not to appear puzzled.

"So if they Fayth aren't in the chambers, where are they?" he says and Yuna's eyes are randomly drawn back to the gash in the floor, gaping wide enough to suck her in.

Come.

But before she can throw herself in and freefall to the planet's depths, Tidus grips her arm firmly and pulls her back.

"Don't," he pleads and she can taste the fear in his voice. She closes her eyes to break the chain dragging her there and feels her feet shuffle slowly in reluctance back to him, to the safe embrace of his arms.

"What shall we do?" she mutters into his chest and his hands are again where they want to belong, entwined in her mocha hair.

"I'm not sure," Tidus admits, savouring the softness of the china white skin around her shoulders. "But I do know that you've been in the shade far too long. I recommend a good dose of playing in the sun."

_But we did that the other day. Why can't we do something different for a change? We don't have long left. _

Despite whatever thoughts she may have, Yuna graciously lets Tidus carry her out of the chamber and later destroy the sandcastle she spends two hours meticulously creating.

Neither of them realises that as they leave the room, the Hymn resonates on the final note and then plummets into a shrieking silence.

7.

One week left to go and she decides to contact her remaining family.

Rikku's dazzling glass green eyes flood the screen as the Commspheres connect and Yuna can see that work is still very much in progress at Djose Temple; chaotically so.

"Yunie!" squeals her cousin, and Yuna has seen Rikku reach new heights of optimism in recent months after marrying Gippal. The wedding was planned by Rikku, so was a lavish but haphazard affair during which the rings got lost but everyone ending up crying in the end as it was so sweet. Or as the men prefer to say, touching.

_I want to get married. Again. Shame I'll never get the chance to now. _

"Hello Rikku," Yuna replies and tries not to think about how many times she'll get to say it again.

Never.

"Guess what Yunie!" Rikku seems to swell with something and Yuna can't tell exactly whether it's pride or excitement or just eager anticipation.

"What?" she asks for she knows it is the only correct response.

"I'm pregnant!"

Grins are applied to both their faces but only one of them is genuine. Yuna is determined not to let the cracks in her mask show as she makes her words as sincere as possible. And full of solace.

Both of them let their heads say what the other wants to hear but their hearts listen to what neither of them dares speak.

Death adds another name to his ever growing list.

6.

Music, surges and flows.

A harmonious melody echoes throughout Guadosalam, leaping and sprinting free like it has never come across the word death before in its life. The city of the Guado is unnaturally quiet otherwise. Everyone but the players is resting at home, where they belong.

Yuna tries her best to shake off the memories of the morning, a strenuous one which involved attempting to persuade Brother to fly them to the Moonflow. They arrive in silence and allow the song to soothe their agitated nerves. She found out the hard way that Tidus travelling with Brother makes for a rather uncomfortable journey.

"I hate this place," mutters Tidus and dribbles along a large stone he found along the river banks. It's worn and jagged with a barely-there hole in the centre, perfectly round, which spookily resembles an eye. Yuna can't help but shudder, perhaps in agreement.

Together, they briefly pass the musicians, nodding politely when their gazes meet before clambering quite sluggishly up the slope leading to the entrance of the Road to the Farplane.

No guard stands there anymore. People have clearly got the message that it is unstable beyond repair. Still, she bites her lips, nibbling and chewing, and ponders whether this idea is as well thought out as she originally assumed.

Doubts.

"I still can't believe you talked me into this," says Tidus and she turns to look at him, smirking slightly.

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be," she gladly informs him.

He chuckles a little at that remark but then launches into scratching his neck and Yuna understands what is coming next as this gesture generally only means one thing and one thing only.

_He's scared, nervous. He doesn't trust you. _

"Don't you think we should just give this a miss? It's probably really dangerous in there. I mean, the planet's dying and the Farplane's collapsing in on itself. How do we even know if it's left anymore?" He stares at the small rock being kicked between his feet whilst the words slowly spill forth awkwardly from his lips.

"We'll just have to find out," Yuna tells him. "This is the only other place I can think of where the Fayth might be. This is our last chance. We must take it."

Voices scream wordlessly all around them.

Then,

"I guess," Tidus sighs, reluctant, and it's the signal she's been waiting for. His hand is hastily snatched up by hers and there is no time for him to protest. Yuna drags him along, trailing clumsily behind her as she dashes along the path with the scenery a blurry riot of messy hues. An abrupt halt awaits them at the all but invisible barrier to the otherworld and their hands part.

She hears him gulp. Neither of them has ever enjoyed this part of the journey.

"Here," Yuna says, slipping her hand gracefully into his firm grasp and his fingers instinctively close around hers.

"I'm ready."

_Really? _

"Let's go."

Drowning in a sea of pyreflies as they enter, they are unable to do anything other than gasp at the sight spread out in front of them.

What was once a majestic garden filled with great and terrible beauty is now a barren wasteland, gorges and gashes and scars sliced deep into the landscape which remind Yuna of a face marred by a battle wound from long ago.

"Auron," exclaims Tidus, who darts towards the edge of the platform and perches there precariously to watch the spectre that has appeared. "If only he was here. Sure, he was grumpy but I just have this feeling that he'd know what to do. He always did."

She takes enough steps to stand beside him. "He would, wouldn't he?" and she unsuccessfully struggles to disguise the hopeless amount of disappointment and sense of failure in her voice.

"Hey, don't be like that. Auron wouldn't want you to be sad now, would he?" Tidus pauses, in search for something more to say. "Our parents wouldn't want that either." He gestures behind them and Yuna sees when she spins around that four more figures have come to join their former friend.

_Mother, Father, I'm sorry. _

"We'll be together soon. I promise," she whispers, causing Tidus' eyes to widen, surprised.

"Not necessarily," and he places his hands on her shoulders to force her to meet his watchful gaze. "Try calling them. Go on. I know you can do it."

She nods, then asks, "But why me?"

A quiet snigger and a small smile. "Because you're the high summoner. You probably have a greater bond with the Fayth than anyone else in the history of Spira."

"Says the dream of the Fayth," she retorts, though not irritably, and begins to recognise the look sweeping over Tidus' face.

Uncertainty.

"But I'm not, not a dream any more, am I? I'm real, right? As long as you continue to love me, I'll still be real." He stops to stare at his hands, palms outstretched. "You… you do love me, don't you."

Yuna laughs and throws a punch at his left arm.

"Ow!," shouts Tidus, rubbing the hurt arm slightly angrily. "What the heck was that for?"

"You felt it, didn't you?" she says.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do wi-"

He finally understands.

"And," she continues, rather cheerfully, "It was also a sort of punishment for asking that question in the first place. Of course I love you."

"I love you too."

The faces of their parents and Auron beam proudly, mirror images of her own. She bows to them, and lets them fade back to being pyreflies. They'll meet again, someday.

Someday soon.

"Okay, here goes. I'm summoning the Fayth," she announces and Tidus looks onwards with expectation.

But …

There's nothing.

A single pyrefly floats past, sighing in sweet harmony. Annoyed, she tries again, focusing as hard as she is able to on the Fayth. Valefor, Ifrit, Ixion, Shiva, Bahamut. She even dares to remember Seymour's mother, the Fayth of Anima and knows that it hasn't work when a angry growl comes from behind her.

"I said summon the Fayth, Yuna. Not evil, psychopathic demons called Seymour."

Tidus has both his hands clenched in tight fists and is glowering at Seymour's image with a look of such contempt, she is mildly shocked that it doesn't burst into an explosion of pyreflies there and then. Shaking her head, she reaches for his shoulder and explains.

"I was thinking about the Fayth of Anima. They're connected, that's why."

He pauses, then lowers his fists when the images seeps away into nothingness.

"So," he says, "It didn't work?"

_I don't know. The Fayth are gone, but there has to be something we can do. There must be. _

"No," Yuna admits, tripping over the one simple word.

"It's alright. Come on, we best get going. The Agency in the Thunder Plains doesn't just walk up to potential customers, you know?" Tidus jokes, quite pathetically, but she knows he is only doing it to make sure she stays happy, smiling.

"Let's go," and once again their hands bind together as they head off in search of shelter for the night.

Over the cries and shrieks as the planet's core disintegrates, a young boy dressed in a dark hooded robe appears. He has one request, yet it will never be heard.

"Forgive us."

5.

"Hmm, I think I remember this place. I might need a little reminder though."

Yuna squeals and slaps Tidus' arms away playfully as his mouth dives forwards to meet her lips. She dodges to the side and he is caught off balance, lurching forwards and crashing into the water with an almighty splash. She can't help but giggle.

He surfaces with a huge gasp as he inhales the icy air, cool like a frozen whisper. His hair is sopping wet and hanging droopily in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. Yuna is still laughing.

"Hey!" Tidus yells, pouting. "That was completely uncalled for."

"No it wasn't," she tells him blithely. "You were in dire need of a bath, and the opportunity kindly presented itself."

He pauses and folds his arms, thinking, and Yuna wants to do nothing more than brush his hair out of the way so that she can see his eyes. She steps forwards carefully, pattering towards the water's edge and offers him her hand. He hesitates.

"Y'know Yuna," Tidus says, smirk emerging on his face, " You're looking a bit grubby yourself."

Yuna has little time to react before she is dragged in to join him, air whistling past and biting her skin. She shuts her eyes tightly and tries not to shout when she slides under. The water is deathly cold and her teeth instinctively begin to chatter when she finally comes back up for air.

Shiver.

Breathless and utterly frozen, she glares at Tidus as he laughs and remarks that they now match. Yuna doesn't care. She flicks away the soaked pieces of hair that are sticking uncomfortably to her forehead and then flails and thrashes her arms about wildly in an attempt to make Tidus more wet than he already is.

More laughter, still just from him.

He retaliates and splashes her back, her skin now flecked with hundreds of sparkling droplets. She wants to smile, but something is holding her back. She feels like crying.

_We only have five days left and we're messing about in a spring. We have no way to stop it from happening. I'm a failure. I deserve to … die. _

Tidus moves closer, studying her face in a way that only he can and reads the emotions flickering on and off. He hasn't had to do this for some time.

"It's alright to cry, y'know. It happens to all of us sometime," he whispers, words stroking her ear, softly. "Or, if you want to, you could scream instead."

Success, she chuckles. Slightly.

"I know, I know," she says, trying to flex her fingers but finding that she is not capable of moving them. "I actually think I'm unable of crying right now though, my body is about to turn to ice."

His cobalt eyes and mouth form three very round circles. "Oh, right."

Tidus suddenly scoops her up into his arms without asking, so Yuna is unable to protest as he walks back towards the bank before gently placing her down on the ground. It gets her thinking.

_Is this the closest I'll get to being your bride? _

Dreaming.

He stays standing, shaking his head manically and causing Yuna to flinch as more drops of chilly water pierce her skin. She finds her eyes drifting mindlessly and admires the scenery, partly in amazement and partly in horror.

Macalania has always been renowned for it's beauty, crystals and shining trees. The spring is one of those places where it was most apparent, made even more so to them by their secret midnight tryst. But now the splendour is disappearing, hurriedly. Branches creak and groan, boughs break and crystals melt away into emptiness. The woods are fading, she knows, yet she finds it hard not to gasp whilst watching everything she loves about the place being destroyed.

_I suppose it's for the best that I won't be here to see the very end. _

Arms wrap tightly around her waist. Yuna leans back, damp ends of her brown hair beating against his chest and for that moment she is content just to watch the dappled sunlight flit between the roof of leaves.

"Y'know what I'm really sad about?" says Tidus, words muffled, seeing as his head is buried into her shoulder. "All the stuff we'll never get to do. Everything we did was for the future and now… it all just seems pretty pointless."

Yuna stops, lips parted and gazes at a spot way up above their heads.

"What sort of things?" The question seems to echo, rippling in the water.

He sighs. "Things like… winning the crystal cup or learning how to walk on water, or telling my kids that yes, their daddy _is_ the best blitz player in Spira."

She can't help but grin at that one.

"I'm sure they'd be very proud."

"'Course they would. And they wouldn't brag about it too much, because their parents would have made sure that they know arrogance is not a good trait to have," Tidus says and she can clearly hear the rawness in his voice that's always present whenever he speaks about Jecht.

"They'd have blue eyes like yours. Sky blue. I've always liked that colour," she muses, changing the subject.

He doesn't agree. "Well, maybe one of them could have a green eye. Someone's got to keep the whole mismatched eye colours thing going. The world wouldn't be such a beautiful a place without it."

Yuna sits up properly and twists round so she can look him closely in the eye. It's never an easy task, she always finds herself getting lost and sinking in them, but she has to.

"You shouldn't lie, y'know. As flattering as what you said may be, lying is never a good thing," she tells him, firmly.

"I wasn't lying," and his lips are briefly pressed against her forehead.

_Fine, I believe you. _

"So," Tidus says, eyes still watching her. "Any regrets?"

_Yes. _

She moves around so that she can once again lean against him for support and thinks about all the thoughts whirring and flying about inside her head. Finally, she picks the one most important to her.

"Not marrying you," she murmurs, unsure of herself and also whether he has heard or not.

Behind her back, Tidus' grin broadens.

"Well, that can easily be arranged."

4.

The wedding is held on the banks of the Moonflow, a central destination that is reached without difficulty for most people. The thick evening air is heady, buzzing with a huge rush of excitement. Yuna's mirror twin hasn't stopped beaming all day.

_I can't believe this is actually happening. _

Rikku bursts into her tent unannounced, twirling and spinning over in a blur of scarlet. The dress is short and clings and hugs where it really shouldn't but Yuna and Lulu both know that's the way Rikku wants it to be.

"Yunie, I can't believe this is actually happening," squeals her cousin, practically crushing her shoulders as she grips them in fervent anticipation, whereas Lulu scowls and tries not to stab her with hair pins.

"I spent a large part of last night and this morning readjusting this dress Rikku. I'd most appreciate it if you didn't tear it to shreds with your…" she stops and looks down at the daggered heels Rikku is wearing, "shoes."

Yuna simply tries not to shake her head in amusement, for that would cause Lulu to mess up her hair and need to start all over again.

It's obvious from merely just glancing at the dress that Lulu has put an extreme amount of effort into transforming it. It was originally the dress she was to wear at her wedding to Chappu and since the news of his death came, it had been stowed away in a trunk somewhere in her and Wakka's hut. Designed for Lulu, it is now worn by Yuna and is a flawless fit.

Pure white with a hint of cream, black lace and ribbon skims across the hemline with the ribbon criss-crossing up and down the bodice. Lulu's nimble fingers spent the majority of the night before hand stitching small pearls around the collar and when her eyes fell on the dress, Yuna could only cry, tears luckily not landing on the silk.

"There now. You're ready," announces Lulu and the beating of Yuna's heart grows louder and louder.

"Wow! You look gorgeous Yunie," Rikku bubbles, frothing and spilling forth tiny shrieks of joy. "Tidus is such a lucky guy."

"I know," she says, grasping Lulu's hand because her dress has a long train and she doesn't want to trip over.

Rikku dashes to the front of the tent, still whirling about, though rather absentmindedly. "I'll go and tell everyone that you're ready," she shouts and bounds out of the tent, oblivious to the fact that it should be impossible when wearing shoes like hers.

"Ready?" Lulu asks, crimson eyes scanning Yuna's face all over.

_No, but is anyone ever ready for their wedding? _

"Ready," she replies, nodding and Lulu pulls back the flaps at the entrance of the tent.

---

The ceremony is an unusually quiet and private event, given the fact that it is between the High Summoner and possibly the greatest guardian of all time. Baralai presides over the ceremony, being dragged away from Bevelle despite his claims that everything will surely fall apart without him there.

Everyone who should be present is, and they are all smiling. Yuna is glad to know that so near to the end she can at least help ease some of the world's worry and suffering.

Vows are simple, non religious because both of them know there is no point believing in Yevon anymore. It all rushes by so fast that she doesn't even have time to take in Tidus, dressed in a suit that must have belonged to Wakka at one point and looking as handsome as ever.

A day is not enough time to have a ring made so Tidus pulls off the ring he constantly insists on wearing on his last finger and slides it onto Yuna's third finger of her left hand with no problem. She stares at his family emblem, glistening in the waning sunlight and realisation dawns on her.

_I'm part of his family now. He is mine and I am his. _

"'Til death do us part," he says, face alight with happiness.

Four days, actually.

The audience erupts into a flood of clapping as they kiss, sweet and honest and Yuna knows that it couldn't have been more perfect.

After receiving many words of congratulations and gratitude, they sneak away to the riverbank, strolling along holding hands. Yuna smiles her own secret smile when Tidus halts and stares at the sight.

"So this is why you wanted a wedding at the Moonflow," he mumbles, gaze darting all around them.

"Well, you have always wanted to see it," she says and squeezes his hand.

Tidus turns to her and she can see the thanks engraved into the features of his face. "And now you know why."

She nods and they stand there, happy to watch the shimmering sea of pyreflies drift across the river all through the night, until Rikku comes to yell at them because she's hungry and it's time to cut the cake.

3.

The next day is spent mostly entwined in a messy tangled cocoon of blankets.

Touching, kissing and exploring each other bodies enough to commit it to memory, she almost forgets that there are only three days, seventy two hours, four thousand and twenty minutes of her life left, because just for this day the world comprises of only Tidus and Yuna and Yuna and Tidus.

Complete and utter bliss.

They fall into a restful slumber next to one another as tomorrow and reality conspire to awaken them. Brutally.

2.

The stars are a thing of great mystery, twinkling away in the sky night after night.

"What do you think they are," asks Yuna, relishing in the feeling of cool sand against her skin and not having to constantly fret about getting sunburnt.

"I'm not sure," Tidus says from his position on his back. His arms are beneath his head, a strong pillow and her head is resting gently on his chest.

She yawns, revealing to him her small rose tongue and settles back down to snuggle up close to him.

"Rikku always said that they're huge balls of burning gas, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from us," she tells him and Tidus snorts at this suggestion.

"Yeah right. Where did she get that idea from?"

"I don't know," she whispers. "But she says she's working on getting evidence to support her theory."

"Yuna," begins Tidus, and strokes her hair lightly. "That's never gonna happen. Even if she did find something to prove it, no-one would believe her."

_Because she doesn't have time to prove it and no-one would be there to believe her. _

"I guess. I always thought they were pyreflies that somehow got stuck in the sky. At least, that's what Kimahri told me anyway," she admits, slightly embarrassed with her pale cheeks flushing pink.

Tidus considers this idea in his head for a few minutes and she listens to the sound of small waves lapping further and further up the beach.

Soothing, a sound she has always known.

"Well, it makes more sense than Rikku's crazy idea but I still don't know if it's right or not."

Yuna nods, hands dancing along his arms.

_I still think it's right. _

"What about your theory then?" she asks, again.

He sighs and she can tell he is unwilling.

"Okay, fine. My old man always used to say that the sky was like this big shield, protecting us from the world of evil. That's why in the old days, there were no wars. Everyone was good. But one night, the people noticed dots of white light in the sky. It was holes in the shield that protected them and they were allowing some evil to come through to the world. That's when all the bad things started to happen. That's why there's evil in the world today. I've never really liked stars that much since he told me that story."

He finishes and sighs once more and Yuna can't help but sigh with him.

Hopeless.

"What about the sun and the moon? Are they holes too?" Yuna presses on. She needs to know, has to know.

"Well," Tidus says and then pauses to give him some time to think. "The sun and the moon help us live, without them we'd die. So, I guess they're like huge jewels in the shield. They protect us and they also look nice."

"They do," she agrees. "They are very beautiful."

"Like you."

Somehow and with a lot of fumbling, Tidus' lips manage to find hers in the dark, and they linger there for several moments. Yuna breaks away first.

_I need to know, just one more thing. _

"Tidus, what's …" she falters. "What's going to happen to us."

She feels the muscles in his arms tighten, rigid in shock of the question or fear of the subject. They both sense the desperation and need to cling to each other, to stay together no matter what. The fear of losing each other, forever, is too hard to try to comprehend. So they try to forget about it.

But slowly and surely, their hearts are giving in.

"I don't think anyone can tell you the answer to that Yuna."

She tries not to act disappointed.

"But," he says. "I do know what I'd like to happen."

_Go on. I'm listening. _

"I think that when the planet dies, a new one will be formed. It might take a while, but eventually people will live on it like they live on Spira. Except this time, the people will have some kind of feeling, an instinct, of what's right and what's wrong. They'll build a perfect world, where there's no war and no false religion, no discrimination against the Al Bhed and no power crazy maesters."

He pauses, to catch his breath.

"That's what I hope for anyway."

_So do I. _

When Yuna finally falls asleep, her hands are clasped together in such a way, she appears to be deep in prayer.

1.

"Ow, my aching feet!"

Yuna swivels around instantly and peers down at Tidus who is clutching his feet so firmly, she's not at all surprised they are hurting.

"What's this?" she asks with a sense of false disbelief. "Are you getting tired already? And here I was thinking you're the star player of the Zanarkand Abes."

Tidus scowls at her and grumbles as he stands up. "Rikku is such a bad influence on you."

_And you're not? _

"Come on," she calls and ends up pulling him along the rocky pathway, dodging over stones that seem to be placed there ssolely for the purpose of tripping them up.

"I really don't see why we couldn't just take the teleporters instead," groans Tidus but they've reached their destination now and his mouth is soon slammed shut, tight.

A long, low whistle.

Towering above them is a statue of Yuna, praying with a serene expression on her face. There would be an incredible likeness, had it not been for the long horn protruding from her head. Yuna likes it anyway. She feels accepted by the Ronso now.

"Well, I would say I like it, but I'm not sure if many guys would be happy to see a statue of their wife with a giant horn sticking out of her head," Tidus says, scratching his neck and Yuna is sorely tempted to smack him on the arm.

"It's a Ronso piece of art so it has a distinct Ronso… " she struggles to find the right word, "flavour."

Tidus nods but mutters, "Doesn't look like any piece of art I've ever seen."

_Oh, for goodness sake. _

"Look, I've already seen this statue plenty of times before. The only reason I came up here was because I know you wanted to see it."

Tidus mouth slips open and a puzzled expression flutters across his entire face.

"How… how did you know that?" he stammers.

She turns around and starts to walk away.

"You were mumbling about it in your sleep," she tells him from over her shoulder.

He darts towards her to catch up and they continue their ascent to the summit where, thankfully, the nearest teleporter is.

---

There are no words left to be said about where they are now.

The ruins of Zanarkand are spread out beneath them, sunlight catching on the edges of crumbling buildings and it's utterly silent and eerily peaceful. They don't bother to speak. Both of them know, without a doubt, that this is where they'll stay tonight.

_Forever. _

Through sneaky sideways glances, Yuna studies Tidus' face. The completely straight bridge of his nose. The freckles hidden around his lips. The way his hair shifts colour in the varying light, sometimes sandy, sometimes russet and sometimes gold, simple and clean.

She finds herself staring the most at his ear, the glint of silver than gleams in the dimming light of the setting sun.

Suddenly her breath is snatched from her throat and his hands are entwined in her hair, lips touching everywhere, mouth, cheeks, hair, neck.

Desperate and hungry.

Minutes pass, frantic and heated, with breath lost every second. Finally, they stop.

"Sorry," he apologises, staring at the ground.

"It's fine," she assures him, taking his hand and desperately trying to make him smile again.

He does.

"Let's go."

"Yes, let's go. Down… to Zanarkand."

0.

The sunrise is bleeding gold.

Yuna wants to touch it, let it brush against her skin, so stretches her arm out to reach it, only to have Tidus' hand clamp steadily around hers and bring it to his cheek.

"This was our story. It was a good one, right?"

Past tense. The sentences are sincere, definite, to the point. This is the end.

_Goodbye. _

She nods, smiles. "The best."

His eyes crinkle up in a way that strikes Yuna as being beautifully odd or oddly beautiful. She can't choose which.

"Good."

They watch a new day be born, the last thing to be created. Tidus ruffles her hair gently and she traces the lines on his palm. For once he isn't wearing gloves.

_He said he wanted to feel everything. _

"I love you," she murmurs, sketching invisibly along his life line. A harshly drawn scar cuts halfway down, making it short, an insignificant length.

_For now and forever, I am yours. _

"And I love you too," he replies as his mouth edges closer towards hers.

Her heart pounds, beating and thumping faster and faster.

But …

Their lips never touch.

_

* * *

_

**AN -** This piece came into being after reading the amazing _In Paris by morning_ by Sowing Poppies, an Akuroku Kingdom Hearts fic. If you want to read it, he/she's listed in my favourite authors list on my profile page. It took a while to do because I was constantly being bombarded with exams and coursework and work experience preparations and God knows what else. Hopefully it was worth it. Reviews will be appreciated as always and I'll try to reply to everyone.

Musing Joplin also pointed out in her review that the dialogue in Day 2 is very similar to The Lion King. I honestly didn't realise this when writing this piece, it was not intentional. Therefore, I am considering rewriting the entire scene. I'd really appreciate it if you guys told me what you think, so that I can make a decision. Thanks for reading.

Next updates - _Utopia?_ Chapter 1 is nearly complete so should be up soon. _Hear No Secrets, Tell No Lies_ Chapter 6 is being written up and is partly done. With any look it'll be finished by the end of the month.


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